This was shot by Robert Capa on Omaha Beach during the invasion of Europe during WWII. It is one of the twelve frames of over a hundred that survived a stupid mistake by a lowly darkroom flunky. It has long been considered an iconic record of the invasion, despite the reticulation caused in the darkroom.

I think maybe because it's blurry, it captures more of the feeling of the day. Though the items in the background are tough to identify, the soldier in front is clear enough to know who he is and figure out what's going on.
It also shows how close Capa likely was to the action.

It is blurry.
The photographer was one of the first on the beach and he was facing the same perils of the first wave of the invasion.I have to think that f stop and shutter speed where not the first things through his mind. That said the exposure is pretty good,but you can tell he was frightened,and THAT makes the photo memorable

Actually the light was not very good on the first wave and it was just after dawn and it was over cast. Most of his film got wet and was un-useable. Correct me if Im wrong Jim but most of his first shots that day where blurry. I also believe he was killed a short time later.

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. . . Most of his film got wet and was un-useable. Correct me if Im wrong Jim but most of his first shots that day where blurry. I also believe he was killed a short time later.

I believe the film was damaged from heat when the darkroom tech tried to dry the film too fast. The posted image shows signs of reticulation, a possible result of excessive heat.

Capa lived about 10 more years, and was killed by a land mine in Indo-China years before America got involved in that strife. His fiance had been killed on a battlefield during the Spanish Revolution in the 1930s. Carrying a camera in combat may be more dangerous than carrying a weapon. The infantryman has to be watching for the enemy. The photographer is watching the infantryman.

1.) The photographer first had to make it on the beach and back alive.
2.) The equipment had to survive water and bullets, explosions.
3.) the film that did make it back to England was almost completely ruined in the processing stage.

As a war time photo of the landings to me this represents the most accurate picture of what was going on with the landings that day. It is both priceless and perfect not worthy of a critique.

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3-9-2004 official date
2007 official date of death
3-2012 a new beginning